How Rich Are You?

I recently came across an interesting post that talked about how wealthy we are as a country. We enjoy a standard of living that most countries can only dream of. Even the poor of this country are much better off than the poor of other emerging nations.

Often we become forgetful of how much we really do have, and how little many others in the world have. We live a comfortable life, and it can be hard to even picture how people in other parts of the world could be having a hard time.

As a nation we need to remember just how blessed we are, and try to use our great wealth to help others, instead of just squandering it on things. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 we are commanded to do just that:

Command those who are rich in this present world … to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Just How Rich Are We As A Nation?

One thing that I found helpful in trying to picture just how fortunate I am is to figure out just how wealthy I am in comparison to others in the world. There are websites like http://www.globalrichlist.com/ where you can put in your yearly salary and figure out just how “wealthy” you are in comparison to the rest of the world.

As an example, if you make over $47,500 dollars, according to the Rich List you are among the world's wealthiest 1%. That's right, the top 1%!

Gee, you're in the top 1%, you can probably spare a dollar here or there can't you? After all, you're one of the “1%”!

Our Wealth Can Become A Hindrance

One thing that we should think about is how our wealth can often become a hindrance to our faith lives. When we are wealthy, it makes it much easier for us to believe that we don't need God, and that we can do things on our own. When we have less, we tend to rely on God more.

So how do we make sure that we don't start relying too much on our wealth and possessions? Make sure that you make it a discipline to daily focus on God, and give thanks to him for all the things he has given you, after all, everything is his from the start.

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If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Psalm 50:12

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I think globalization has been starting to level the playing field, which probably means we won’t see the relative standard of living dominance we have experienced in the past. I think it might be a little bit of a shock, when we as a nation comes to grips with that. Good for the rest of the world, though.

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